Having A First Look Can Make Your Wedding Day Spectacular!

Having A First Look Can Make Your Wedding Day Spectacular!

Your wedding day is one of the most important moments of your life. You have the intimate opportunity to celebrate your marriage surrounded by the people who love you the most. Choosing to have your first look before the ceremony allows you to spend as much time as possible laughing and experiencing your special day with your guests.

What Is A First Look?

One of the decisions that you make with your wedding photographers is when to have a “first look”. You can either choose to see each other for the first time of the day when the bride is walking down the aisle, or you can plan for an intimate encounter before the ceremony where you get to see each other for the first time.

When you choose to “have a first look,” the photographers arrange a private location and photograph the event. There are many benefits to having a first look that help to make your day extra special.

A First Look Gives A Couple An Intimate Moment Together

Your wedding day is jam-packed with moments surrounded by others. The hair dresser. The make-up artist. Your bridesmaids and groomsmen. The moms. Choosing to have a first look allows you to re-center your focus on the most important person present: your new spouse.

We photographed Samantha and Greg’s wedding a couple of weeks ago. Samantha had a marvelous time getting ready and prepared for the ceremony, but it was when she and Greg saw each other for the first time before the ceremony that her joy became radiantly apparent. She had the chance to experience the delight of the day with her best friend.

A First Look Lets A Couple Fully Experience And Show Their Emotions

Weddings hold much emotion. You are making the wonderful, exciting, butterfly-inducing decision to commit your life to another person. Instead of just rushing through the day, it is good to allow for moments where you can simply feel and appreciate the wedding.

A first look lets you feel and express this myriad of emotions. Some people might clamp down on their emotions when dozens of people are watching them. But if you are simply having a first look with your new husband or wife, you can laugh together and cry together, being real with your emotions and each other.

A First Look Allows For Different Lighting and Locations, Leading to Better Photographs

Having a first look earlier in the day gives you variety in your photos. The light is different in the morning compared to the evening. This different quality of light can lead to better images.

A First Look Gives You More Time With Your Guests

It is the people you journey through life with that are the most important. One of the reasons weddings are so spectacularly special is because you are experiencing that moment in time surrounded by the people who love you and care for you. A first look lets you spend your precious day with your guests.

You can use a first look to maximize your time instead of missing the chance of enjoying your cocktail hour with your loved ones. If you have a first look, you get a special space to see your soon-to-be spouse for the first time. Following this encounter, you can take formal portraits as well as portraits with your bridal party. This leaves only family portraits for between the ceremony and the reception.

Many couples have been deeply satisfied with their wedding day when they schedule hair and make-up first, followed by a first look and formal portraits, then their ceremony and reception.

It’s All About Priorities

Your wedding gives you the chance to choose what is most important for you and invest in that. Having a first look before the ceremony might be a wonderful way to fully experience the day and to prioritize your time with the people you love.

Drop me a note if you have any more questions or if you have had a first look for your wedding!

We are Brian and Joelle Hunsaker Photography, Cleveland Wedding Photographers. Our passion is capturing and creating a beautiful narrative of your wedding day story. Our vision has always been to be wedding photographers that cultivate a high-energy, fun, easy day with breath-taking results. From the time you are getting ready, through partying at the reception, we are there to photograph the major and intimate moments of your whole wedding day. Contact us today to schedule a time to meet with us!